Cause and Effect
by mltrefry
Summary: After an uneasy ending to one of their adventures, Rose confesses a part of her past she didn't want the Doctor to know about. And since no one, absolutely no one, hurts his Rose, the Doctor pays a little visit to the stinking ape who did such damage. But is it just to have a little chat, or is there a paradox in play?


_For **goldenbeautys** who requested this a while ago._

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It was not a day when everyone lived, and the Doctor knew it was going to end that way.

What he didn't expect was Rose to be as closed off as she was. Death was hard, and sweet Lexie sacrificing herself to stop the radiation from breaking free from the machine and poisoning her planet hadn't been easy to watch. She stepped into the chamber with eagerness, and hit the button that redirected the radiation to it, a fail-safe that was originally intended to be used by prisoners as a form of execution. She put herself to death with zealous, and while the Doctor had been affected, knew Jack had been too, he didn't quite understand Rose's reaction.

She was saddened, of course, because she was Rose and she had a big heart. It was one of the things he lo-… appreciated about her. But this was more. It was like she'd somehow seen something else entirely when Lexie stepped in the chamber, turning to them with a smile before pressing the button and welcoming the radiation with open arms.

As he put the TARDIS into the Vortex, he watched as Rose retreated into the depths of the ship without so much as a 'goodnight.' She'd been hugging herself, head down as if trying to hide her face, but she wasn't running away like she didn't want them to see her.

He glanced to Jack, noting the conman had seen the same behavior.

"Let it go?" Jack said, uncertain himself it would seem. "Let her process what happened? She'll be back, won't she? Can't be the first time you guys have seen something like this."

It wasn't, but that wasn't the point. It was the first time Rose hadn't waited for him to head off and decompress together after such a heavy ending to their day. The Doctor glanced at the corridor, debating leaving the Captain in the console room to do whatever while he checked on Rose.

"Anyway, I'm gonna hit the shower. I stink of swamp." Jack said once they were floating in the Vortex.

"It's what you get for tromping through their water garden." The Doctor replied casually, giving Jack a goofy grin before the newest resident of the TARDIS shook his head and took off.

He waited, counted the minutes until he thought it was safe enough to seek out Rose without any comment from Jack should he be caught.

He made his way to Rose's bedroom first, knocking and waiting to see if she'd answer. When she didn't reply he went to open the door only to have the TARDIS hum a growl in his mind that made him jump back. Was she … no, she'd been changing in the past and had simply told him to wait. He stilled, closing his eyes and paying attention to his time ship as she showed Rose was in the library, sitting by the fireplace, knees bent with arms and head resting on them.

The Doctor gave the nearest coral strut a pat before making his way to Rose, stepping inside the Library and having his hearts break when she barely glanced up at him.

He stood in front of her, leaning against the mantle and waiting for her to speak.

"D'ya know why Lexie was so willing to die?" She asked, her voice small. "'Cause it was her only way out. Her only way of escaping."

"Escaping what?" The Doctor asked, brow furrowed.

"Her husband." Rose said to the fire. "Dramian wasn't just a thick bloke with a bad idea for giving his planet power, he was a git that hit his wife for silly reasons. She had her own dermal regenerator because he'd beat her so bad the bruises couldn't be hidden. She had no way of leaving him, 'cept death, and he had someone with her all the time."

"I didn't know," The Doctor said, kneeling down in front of Rose who still wouldn't look at him. He waited, but when he caught the glint of the fire in her glossy eyes he couldn't any longer. Gently taking her chin in his hand, turning her head, his chest tightened at the utter despair in his precious girl's eyes. "Rose?"

"That mighta been me." She said quietly. He didn't understand, so he shook his head. She wiped at her eyes, sniffing. "Don't like talking 'bout it. Didn't ever want you to know."

"Know what?" He asked gentle.

She looked down at her hands. "'Bout Jimmy." She replied with a sniff. "Bloke I was with before Mickey. Thought he was everything 'cause he was older, had a band. Thought he was gonna be famous, I did. Moved in with him when he asked, did anything to make 'im happy. Only, I couldn't."

The Doctor really didn't like where this was going, but he let her continue, moving from holding her chin to resting his hand on her shoulder.

"He yelled mostly," She continued. "Called me horrid names. Reminded me how I was nothing and no one, and he could do better. Before that I'd quit school for him, so he could work on his music while I … well, I supported him. Worked as much as I could, sometimes holding Hendricks and another shop. But there was a month, April, when it was all starting to catch up. Hours'd been cut, we were in debt, and were 'bout to be evicted if I didn't make enough for rent. Guess what happened." She snorted. "Week before my birthday, I had to tell Jimmy my check as a few quid short to cover the rent, and he hit me."

"He what?" The Doctor felt the storm coming over him with each word she'd said, but when she casually mention that dirty, stinking, stupid ape laying a hand on her it raged.

"Gave me a black eye to teach me a lesson, warned me I'd better have found a way to cover rent even if it meant using my … um, self to get it. Then went off to his gig." She sniffed, but continued speaking in a strong voice. "Swore I was gonna leave'im. Didn't know how, cause Jimmy's ex had warned me that he didn't take 'no' well. Wavered when I woke up and found his guitars and the money we _did_ have gone. Went to work hoping he pawned them, paid our rent, left some money for food this time, but when I got home there was an eviction notice on the door. He'd let me and anyone passing by know that he was shagging someone else, someone better. Peeked inside the window, all our furniture was gone, not that we had much. Tried my key, didn't work."

"What did you do?" The Doctor asked, his voice gentle while his posture was still tense.

Rose shrugged. "Stayed in a shelter 'til I could get back to Mom's. Was only a day. But thing was, with Lexie, she was so like me. So blind and hopeful that things would get better, and then too scared to leave on her own. She walked into that chamber and, Doctor … I'd've done the same. Wasn't so strong back then"

"Rose," He said her name like a prayer, "Rose." He could only shake his head and pull her toward him. He wrapped his arms around her, and she fell against his chest and gripped his jumper. She didn't cry, and he didn't expect her to as he held her as close to himself as he dared. He had no words to give his brave girl, but he figured she knew what he felt simply by the way she shifted to sit in his lap, moving her head to his shoulder and pressing her hot forehead to his cool neck.

"Often wondered in the beginning if I wasn't being that foolish with you." She admitted, and his caressing thumb stilled against her arm. "Ran off with you when I barely knew you, could see you were dangerous."

"Can be," He agreed.

"Yeah, but not like that. I know you'd never hurt me, not like that." She nuzzled into him a bit more, and his hearts stuttered. "Safe with you."

He didn't know what to say to that, couldn't imagine why she would ever even think that considering all the dangerous situations he'd put her in. How many times had her life been put on the line because she was associated with him? But as Rose relaxed into him just a bit more, his arms drifting further around her, he understood. And didn't it just make his hearts swell.

~DWDWDW~

He tucked her in, not wanting to wake her after Rose drifted off in his arms. He'd carried her back to her room bridal style, silently relishing every second of her closeness. Once she was under her blankets, he pressed a kiss to her temple, pushing back the guilt the stolen gesture gave him as he walked away.

Each step toward the console room brought the storm back. His muscles grew tense with every echoed beat of his boots on the grating, and he knew if Jack was in the console room he wouldn't be for long. Thankfully for the Doctor, he arrived to find himself alone.

A week before her eighteenth birthday, easy as pie date wise. A bit of chatter from her when her tensions eased allowed her to give a bit more detail in the way of this bar Jimmy would get his gigs at, and he set the coordinates accordingly. The Time Ship helped in his plot, making her landing as smooth and quiet as possible. He was certain he sensed something similar to "go get him" in his mind as he strode down the the ramp, but an uncertain glance at the rotor didn't prompt her to repeat herself if she'd hummed anything at all.

He stepped outside, the sweet smell of alcohol mixed with an underlying tinge of sick and urine hitting his over sensitive nose. The hint of trash tipped him off that he was tucked in beside an alley, parked between two dumpsters. He looked down as he stepped into a small puddle, hoping it was only rain water as the asphalt glistened with dampness from a recent shower. A newspaper was laying in it, soaked nearly to the point of words bleeding through, and he caught the date. He'd gotten it down perfect.

The music from inside the establishment was booming, loud and obnoxious, barely what he'd call music at all really. He headed toward it, turned the corner, and paused.

He knew instantly that this ape with his back against a wall and a rail thin woman with her hands in his trousers was Jimmy Stone. He didn't need the woman's panting repetition of his name to associate this nothing with the slight description Rose gave. The cologne this particular idiot wore was strong, probably to cover the marijuana and booze that seeped from his pores. It mask of scent would be enough to draw attention to himself, make a woman think he was attractive. It only made the Doctor angrier.

He stepped out from around the corner, full Oncoming Storm in every step he took, and glared down Jimmy before the ape even knew he was there. His foot must have made a noise because suddenly the handsy woman looked over with a start.

"Oi, mate, can't you see we're a little busy here?" Jimmy asked, and the Doctor's fists clenched tighter.

He turned to the woman who still looked startled. "You. Leave," he said, pointing down the other end of the alley. The woman took off, and Jimmy watched her leave with a sneer.

"And what's your problem, Ugly?" He spat at the Doctor, sizing him up as he turned toward him.

"My problem is with you hittin' women, especially Rose Tyler." He said, stepping closer, nearing Jimmy's personal space.

Jimmy snickered. "D'aaw, did that Chav go crying to her Daddy or something?" He asked, and the words sent a cold bolt of desire through the Doctor. Desire to take this ape and smash his face against the wall 'til all the pretty was gone.

"Not her Dad," He said, tilting his head so his glower looked more dangerous. "Much worse, me."

Jimmy's eyes widened for a moment, the fear evident before he masked it with a cocky kind of confidence. "Give a good one for once, did she? Got down on her knees and did a little more than beg to get you to threaten me, huh? 'Cause let me tell you, had better with drunk chicks that …."

The Doctor hadn't had this kind of blind rage since the Time War. Not even that last bloody, stinking Dalek had him seeing white like this stupid ape. His hand wrapped around Jimmy's throat just tight enough to shut him up, then he slammed the bastard against the wall.

His eyes pierced into Jimmy's, the smugness fading fast as fear took a more permanent residence.

"Here's what's gonna happen," The Doctor's voice boomed in his own ears, the friendly undertone likely making the hard lines and cold gaze more menacing as Jimmy started shaking and clawing at the Time Lord's hands ineffectually. "You're gonna walk away from Rose Tyler. You're not gonna see her or lay a hand on her again, and believe me if you do, I'll know. And I'll come back for ya, Jimmy, 'nd I won't be so gentle."

To the Doctor's surprise, Jimmy laughed. "She's got you wrapped around her finger, don't she?" The smile faded fairly quickly.

"Much like I got my hand wrapped around your neck. Not a violent man, me. Hate it really, but you hurt the woman I love. Last thing that did that nearly got blown to bits." He paused, considering as if this was just polite conversation. "Scratch that, the last person who hurt her _did_ get blown to bits, but that was her own fault. Now," he turned back to Jimmy. "Remember what I said: one more finger of your grimy hand touches that precious girl and you're gonna be wishing ya hadn't. We have an understanding, Jimmy boy?" The ape nodded. "Good."

The Doctor dropped the musician, and while Jimmy clutched at his throat, taking deep breaths, the Doctor headed back toward the TARDIS.

He could have sworn he heard Jack ask, "You Jimmy Stone," from the opposite end of the alley but didn't bother checking it out. Knowing the captain, he'd likely fathered a few children back in the blitz, and sometimes looks skipped a generation. Voice tones, too. Could be the con man fathered or grandfathered himself a copper.

Back inside the TARDIS, the Doctor put them back in the Vortex, leaned on the console, and sighed. He didn't mean to get so carried away, not in such a violent manner. It also slowly occurred to him what he'd said, and how very likely it was becoming that Jimmy'd left because of him. He thought maybe it was the other woman, the ape's belief that Rose had failed him, but maybe it was because of him.

He cringed as he also realized he'd said how he felt about Rose to the filth. Out loud, using the word he avoided with himself. He was either coming across as a dirty old man who stalked Rose, or someone she was messing around with behind Jimmy's back. The latter was so incredibly unlikely in every sense that it made him feel a bit better, yet he still couldn't imagine what might have been said around the estates behind Rose's back.

"Doctor?" His head whipped up toward Rose as she stood in the corridor. She chewed her lip, shifting a bit as she rung her fingers. "I, umm, wondered."

He smiled gently. "Be there in a moment."

"Mind if it's the library?" She asked. "Something about my room…."

He pushed himself off the console and walked toward her, offering her his hand before they returned to where this whole thing had start.

They didn't sit in front of the fire this time, instead moved to the sofa which seemed a little wider and slightly more inclined. The Doctor sat first, and Rose laid with her head in his lap. He pulled a blanket off the back of the sofa, and she tucked it around herself.

"Dicken's alright?" He asked, looking down to see her nodding, her eyes already falling shut. "Fantastic," he said before opening the book on the table beside them and started to read.

He pushed the incident with Jimmy further and further to the back of his mind with each word, wondering if he should tell Rose what he'd done and deciding the time and place would come up if it was meant to happen.

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 **A/N:** Thanks for reading! As stated, this was requested after a scene in _Run With You_ where 10 confessed he may have been the reason Jimmy Stone walked away so easily.


End file.
